Bearing play remover



Jan. 2, 1951 T. E. HAYES BEARING PLAY-REMOVER Filed April 12', 1949 gwvem to b lj'bam/a/sl 152 1619 Mme/lam Patented Jan. 2, 1 951 UNITED.QSTATES, PATENT OFFICE r BEARING'PLAY REMOVER v Thomas Hayes, Washington, D. C.

; Application April 12, 1949, Serial No. 87,042

, 1 This invention relates to bearing play-removing devices, and more particularly "tofsuchdevices for preventing lost motion due to bearing misfit in pivoted members used in-preci'sion control devices. J

Many devices are controlled "by precision means which moves but an imperceptible amount to complete its full operative stroke. Many of these control units are in the form of a pivoted lever, the lever being used to Operate a switch, or in some other way'control the op,- eration of the machine. Where the control lever also forms part of a calipering mechanism, it is extremely important that the 'movementof'the lever be in exact relation to the thickness of the material causing the movement, and any play be tween the lever and its pivot pin will resultin-in-.- accuracies of control. I a 1 One example of such-a device is the mechanism employed in currency countingand sorting machines, such as disclosed in Patent No. 2,429,-

159. In this type of machine, paper bills are inserted between various roller pairs for'coun'ting, and the thickness of the paper bill actuates the control device for instituting the countin'goperation. The same control device will operate bearing and shaft in close contact, so that no lost motion will result from-bearing misfit;

Another object ofthe invention is topi'o'vide such a devicewhich will accomplish its purpose without afiecting the free movement of the control device with which it is associated. Still another object is to provide a bearing play-remover which is self-adjusting to compensate for additional bearing wear due to continued use of the machine.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany and become a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through the upper forward part of a currency counting and sorting machine showing the control lever and the invention in association therewith;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-'-2 of Figure 1 showing the control lever and the device of the present invention in plan; Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line El -3 of Figure 2 showing the cooperative relationship of the control lever, its pivot shaft and the bearing play-remover; and,

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

. To illustrate the application of the present invention and its utility, the invention has been shown in connection with a currency counting and sorting machine of that type disclosed in Patent No. 2,429,159. That machine comprises a plurality of compartments into which paper currency is deposited. The machine is designed tocount the bills as they pass into the compartments and to detect the presence of two or more bills inadvertently fed to the machine at one time.

To carry out this operation, the machine em ploysa pair of feed rollers at each compartment,

"the rollers comprising a lower driven roller I mounted upon a drive shaft 2 which is driven by means of the belt 3 from a convenient source of power (not shown). The roller I has rotative movement only and is not movable bodily. At the entrance to each compartment above the roller I, there is a movable roller 4 carried by a pivoted control lever -5. The control lever is mounted upon a pivot shaft 6 which is carried by a suitable mounting bracket 1 secured to a portion of the machine frame. For purposes of illustration only, the mounting bracket is shown as being a bifurcated member, with the pivot pin-6 passing through both of the depending legs of the member, and the lever 5 being mounted upon the pivot pin between the depending portions of the mounting bracket. The pivot pin is shown as being fixed with respect to the mounting bracket, being held against movement by means of the set screws 8. The lever 5 is freely swingable upon the pin 6, The present design of the control lever calls for the roller 4 being mounted between depending legs 9, which legs extend downwardly from opposite sides of the lever, intermediate the pivotal point and the free end of the lever.

Near the free end of the lever, there is an adjusting screw l0 which contacts an abutment H on the machine to limit the downward movement of the lever, so that the rollers I and 4 may be held out of engagement and there will be no rotation of the upper roller until a bill is inserted between the rollers. The portion of the lever where movement is critical is the extreme free end where the adjustable switch actuating stud I2 is located. Upward movement of the lever about its pivot 6 causes the stud l2 to strike the actuating button of a microswitch I3, to close certain circuits and operate the compartment piece counter and the totalizer of the machine in the manner set forth in the patent mentioned above.

Thus it will. be seen that the fitting" rorce is applied to the lever midway between its pivot and its free end; that the point of critical movement of the lever is its free end; and the amount of movement which the lever has is. extremely small. If there is any play whatever in the pivot bearing, the lever reacts in either of twcways: It may move upward bodily without pivotal movement until the play has been taken out of the hearing and the periphery of the pivot pin opeming in the lever contacts the pivot pin, whereupon the lever will; begin torock, or,' it mayrock at the outset'untilthe stud. [2 contacts theactwator button of the micro-switch I3,. and then the pivoted endof the lever moves-upward to take out the play.. In either" event, the movement of the free end. of: the: lever is'reduced,. and thereis likelihood that the resultant movement. be

insuficient to actuate the switcln, andtherefore the piece counter and totalizer' will fail ta make thepropercount.

To forestall. this possible faulty operation. of the machine due to anoriginal misfit in thebearmg or looseness as a result of wear, thepresent invention provides means to exert a force: in: on-

pin-to maintain thesurf'acesof the bearing opening in the lever. and the pivot pin. in. constant contact; It will be obvious from the complete disclosure that this. force may be: appliedin many posite directions upon the lever and the pivot ways, and that if the pivot pin is fixed with respect to the lever and. movable in. the mounting bracket, the invention may be practiced equally well by applying the force between the pivot. pin-and the mounting bracket.

For purposes of illustration, one practical: em

bodiment. of the invention has been. shown in the caL opening 18, formed. in the lever 5 directly above. the. opening. 19- which receives the: pi=vot pin. Pin I5 is. slightly longer than the depth of the opening. so that whenv resting upon the pivot pin it extends above the upper surface of the lever. causing the leaf spring M to be flexed upward and thereby exert a yieldable pressure on the contact pin.

Thus, it will be seen that the pressure of the contact pin on the pivot pin will cause a lifting of the pivoted end of the lever, so that the inner surface of the pivot pin opening, or as shown the bushings mounted therein, will be: held in constant contact with the surface of the pivot pin, and no lost motion will result from misfit of the bearing, either as originally made or from wear produced by constant use of the machine. The contact pin'has line engagement with the pivot pim so that its frictional bearing upon the pm as the lever rocks is extremely slight, and

the lever, due to its weight will have complete freedom of movement both when lifted by a bill passing between the rollers and when dropping b5; gravity after the: bill has passed through. With this-arrangement, it is unnecessary to. provide different mountings. for bearings having varying amounts of. play, as the play remover is self-adjusting and will take care of alt condie.

'tions.. and maintain the lever in. proper operative position; throughout its life Although. one practical; embodiment. of. the. in:- vention been shown. for purposes of illustration it will. be readily apparent to one skilled in theart that the invention. may takre many forms and is therefore to: be limited only by the. scope of the appended claims What-isclaimed. is:

A playaemoven for" bearings of. precision control devices which include a lever and. apivot pintheretor comprising. an: opening in: saidv lever perpendicular to the axis of. the pivot pinex from:- the surface: of. the lever tothe pivot pimat contact member in the: opening said con.-

tactmember being; longer than the opening to have one end project beyond the surface of said lever when: the: other" end is in contact. with the pivot'pin and a: leat spring attached at one end to the: surface at said lever and having its; freev 8 d,: yi'eldaibly engaging the projecting: endof the contact member exert pressure axially oil the against-the pivot pin.

" TrIoMAsn HAYES.

REFERENCES crran nae foliowi 'ng" references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED SITKTES PATENTS;

Number Name Date 505.1393: Goaltas: Sept. 19', I893 2334;035? Rush .i.. Nov; 9;.1943 

